Story Highlights

PITTSBURGH – Here was a rare sight, both in this particular city and for this particular player. Phillip Dorsett exited Heinz Field late Saturday evening with a slight smile strewn across his face. Preseason or not, this game mattered.

Not many Colts, if any, have left this locker room in recent memory with anything but their head down, headphones blaring, pride gashed. Heinz Field has been a house of horrors for this football team. The postgame locker room has felt like a morgue; the Colts, beaten so soundly, didn’t have a whole lot to offer in terms of an explanation.

What are you supposed to say after you give up 51 points one year and lose by 17, then give up 45 the next and lose by 38?

The streak rolled on last year on Thanksgiving – four straight losses to Pittsburgh and 14 of the last 16 – when the Colts fell at home to the Steelers by 21, a game partially undone by Dorsett dropping a would-be touchdown pass from Scott Tolzien on a fourth-and-goal play. It was a cruel snippet to his first two seasons in Indianapolis. The production, the consistency, the dependability weren’t there, not for a wide receiver picked in the first round.

Saturday hinted that Year 3 for Dorsett might be different.

Sure, it was only the preseason, and the only true measure of Dorsett’s worth will come on Sundays this fall, but he held his own against Pittsburgh’s first-team defense Saturday night, snagging three catches for a team-best 60 yards. Included was a 32-yard bomb that would’ve been the Colts’ biggest offensive play of the night if not for Donte Moncrief’s 55-yard catch-and-run on the team’s opening series.

How vital was Dorsett’s performance? Just listen to Pagano’s reaction after the 19-15 victory.

“I think he’s as high (in terms of confidence) as he’s ever been,” Pagano said of Dorsett. “Forget what transpired before this. First year, second year, whatever it is. This is a good night for Phil. He made some plays and he made some contested catches, so he’s going to walk out of this locker room feeling good about himself and feeling confident.”

CLOSE

What developed for the Indianapolis Colts in their third preseason game, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Scott Horner/IndyStar

He needs to. Because it’s not a certainty Dorsett’s job is safe. General Manager Chris Ballard has preached competition since the moment he accepted the job in January; Dorsett, among others, was going to have to prove it this August. A roster spot wasn’t guaranteed simply by virtue of where the previous general manager drafted him.

On the Colts’ first unofficial depth chart of the season, Dorsett and Chester Rogers were both listed as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver. Rogers, who was superb throughout offseason workouts and the first few weeks of training camp, hasn’t been on the field in weeks, nagged by a hamstring injury. He’s missed two straight preseason games.

Saturday could’ve helped Dorsett separate himself.

After the game, Dorsett shrugged off the position battle. He said back in the spring he’d welcome the competition. The Colts make their final cuts in a week. He knows all the talk in the world won’t matter unless he delivers when the lights go on and the games matter.

“I don’t even really think about that,” Dorsett said. “All I can do is work hard, do what I can on the field, make plays and try and get better.”

What Dorsett would divulge is his ever-increasing comfort level, within the offense and within the pro game. As a rookie he carried the burden of being the first-round pick no fan wanted; his 18 catches did little to silence the critics. Thirty-three grabs during his sophomore campaign was more of the same.

And his inability to stay on the field – both in his first two seasons and this year’s training camp – hasn’t helped his narrative. What Saturday reiterated: Dorsett’s had the talent all along.

“The playbook is easier for me, and I can play all three (receiver) positions,” he said. “I definitely know what to expect.”

In two seasons, he’s never caught more than five passes in a game, never eclipsed 100 receiving yards, either. There have been too many drops. To be fair, there have also been too few plays designed to utilize his strengths in the open field.

“I’m glad to see him come through, and we’re going to need him,” Pagano said.

Beyond Dorsett and Rogers – whose status remains uncertain at this point; he hasn’t been seen in over a week – the remaining receiver spot(s) will be decided among veteran Kamar Aiken, Quan Bray, JoJo Natson and Bug Howard.

Simon: Mr. Turnover

The Colts have preached turnovers relentlessly since gathering in the spring. In meetings, on the practice field, in warm-ups. It’s showing. The team notched its fourth and fifth takeaways in three preseason games Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

John Simon’s strip-sack of Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter was emblematic of Simon’s pass-rush prowess, something he’s shown throughout camp and in his few snaps during the exhibition games. Including his interception against the Lions in the first preseason game and his forced fumble a week ago in Dallas, Simon’s now had his hand in three of the team’s five takeaways thus far.

“That’s my job,” Simon said matter-of-factly Saturday night after the win. “To try and cause disruption in the backfield.”

The Colts’ utter lack of a pass rush in 2016 buried the defense, placing undue stress on the shaky secondary. Any boost from Simon or fellow outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard this season could go a long way in reshaping the identity of last year’s lackluster unit.

Farley making plays at safety

While everyone waits for the first-round pick – Malik Hooker – to return to the field, veteran Matthias Farley has done a serviceable job in his stead. The safety had his best night of the preseason on Saturday, highlighted by a blindside blitz that resulted in an easy sack.

“A gift,” Farley called it, noting that when inside linebacker Jon Bostic slid into the "A" gap – just in front of the center – Pittsburgh’s running back picked up him, allowing Farley an open lane to the backfield.

“I think guys are starting to get more comfortable playing with each other. There’s a lot more fluidity out there,” Farley said of the first-team defense, which looked nothing like the unit the Cowboys rolled over a week ago. After the game, Pagano offered a stern dissection of his team, saying he needed more “grown men” in his locker room.